Saturday, February 21, 2015

Everyone kept telling me that the 300 Blackout was the ultimate AR15 cartridge way better than the .223. Geez, OK already I will give the round a go in a really nice build… or I though that if I put enough lipstick on the pig that I would somehow like it.

The final decision was that I wanted to set up this AR15 pistol differently and use the cartridge the way JD Jones has intended the original 300 Whisper to be; more than just a short range gun to terminate critters around the neighborhood at night without waking up neighbors. I wanted to stretch its legs a bit at some longer ranges in a pistol format. I was not expecting miracles, but I was hoping to hit some decently small steel gongs at longer distances. My goal was simply to hold close to 2 MOA 6” groups out to 300 yard mark and even further out the accuracy held with a 12” 500-yard 5-shot group with some less than predictable midwestern winter crosswinds. This is by no means stunning national match accuracy, however it did show me that the 300 Blackout round can and does have some significant advantages in flight over the .223 round. The 300 Blackout has a very mild report even in a pistol build and with sub-sonic rounds.

Aero Precision COP Cerakoted Burnt Bronze - $575 - I have been a huge fan of Aero Precision quality and precision and nothing conveys the quality and capabilities of AP like their COP - Continuous Optic Platform. The COP is one continuous single forged unit creating the receiver and forend. Obviously there is some added style, however the most appealing aspect of the Aero Precision COP is that is can be configured in any manner required by the shooter. The kit comes in a tool roll complete with a variety of interchangeable 3, 6, 9 o’clock rail panel configurations for the AR15 builder to pick and choose from. The best part is that at any point down the road, you can swap out the rail sections based on your need or mission requirements. I have found that when mounting lasers the system even holds a 1 MOA zero.

The other notable feature of the COP platform upper is that is it arguable the strongest AR15 upper platform on the market. It is not light, however it is stunningly strong and stiff which I believe aid in some some degree with accuracy, but from a durability perspective it is beautifully beefy. My only complaint is that I think AP should open up the handguard and gas tube channel a bit more for increased room for components. The space constraint in, under and inside that handguard and gas tube channel delivered my biggest design headaches for this build. More than a couple gas block options and brakes options I would have liked to use were just too big to physically fit under the handguard.

Aero Precision 30mm Mount Cerakoted Burnt Bronze - $70 - There are very few optic mounts on the market which I can call "Artful", however the AP mounts are just gorgeous with design lines that blend into any standard flattop upper so well that from a distance it almost looks like a optic/upper monolithic machined part. I bought the Brunt Bronze Cerakote version to match my COP upper. The mounting is also a breeze that only required four machine screws to mount the optic to the mount versus the excessive 12-screw style mounts that require 6 screws per mount. AP did a beautiful job on the design of these mounts which are available in either single rings for Red Dots and double rings for scopes as well as a variety of colors.

Aero Precision Lower Cerakoted - $150 - AP has two different Milspec AR15 receivers. An Ambi version and this standard version. That noted, Aero Precision's lowers are anything but standard and are some of the highest quality AR15 lower MilSpec style receivers I have testing on the market. Beyond the precision and beautiful machining, I bought this lower cerakoted in Tungsten to really enhance and contrast the look of the Burnt Bronze AP COP upper.

HiperFire 24C 3G Competition Trigger - $225 - HiperFire triggers are amazing... like "Daaammmmn" amazing and their 24C versions are the top end of their line. Hiperfire has the original 24C and this 24C 3Gun trigger which drops the flat blade trigger for a more traditional curved trigger design. It is an amazing cam'ed action trigger which magically delivers faster lock times, higher hammerfall energy, and one of the lightest and most crisp feeling triggers on the market. I figured why not drop in one of the best triggers on the market if you are going to the trouble of a build this high end.

Ballistic Advantage 300 Blackout 8.0” Stainless Premium Series Barrel - $195 - BA makes stunning quality barrels. I used one of their barrels on my 5.45x39 build and I flogged that glorious barrel with thousands and thousands of rounds, water tank dunked it when it got hot, or sometimes just poured water down the barrel. Choosing another BA 8.1" 300 Blackout barrel on this build was an easy choice. The barrel features a .300 Blackout Chamber, 416 Stainless Steel, 1/7 Twist Four Groove, 5/8×24 Threaded Muzzle, .750″ Gas Block Journal, Pistol Length Gas System, 18 Ounces, Bead Blast Finish, FailZero Nib Coated Extended M4 Feed Ramp Extension, and is HP and MPI Tested. As noted earlier in the article, the accuracy from a round I really didn't like when I started was surprising from a pistol format.

YHM Lower Profile Gas Block & Pistol Length Gas Tube - $40 - I really went back and forth on whether to add an adjustable gas block on this build, however the two limiting factors were the 300 Whisper/Blackout round itself and the very tight space within the AP COP upper. Testing the Ballistic Advantage barrel on a standard AP Upper with a Syrac Ordnance adjustable gas block satisfied me that if I wanted full cycling reliability on the sub-sonic rounds that I should just run a standard low cost and well made YHM - Yankee Hilll Machine low profile gas block with a stainless gas tube which delivered the clearance needed under the COP handguard. I am saving the Syrac adjustable gas block for another build. The setup works great and delivers 100% functionality regardless of what 300 Whisper/Blackout round I stuff into the chamber.

Kineti-tech Muzzle Brake and Sound Redirector - $59 - I wanted that stumpy look where the handguard would overhang the muzzle brake. The problem was that the AP COP is not internally large enough to fit the PWS CQB brake and wanted to use which are entirely enclosed for the first two inches of length, thereby allowing maximum forend length and safe gas dispersion. The problem was that the PWS CQB does not fit inside the Aero Precision COP handguard which means I either needed to start turning or milling things down or look for another solution. After much searching, I found the very reasonably priced Kineti-Tech Muzzle Brake & Sound Redirector combo which is mighty freaking cool for the price.

The concept is simply a choice of a radial or ported A311 Stressproof Steel brake with a screw on T60601 Aluminum blast shield/sound redirector. The blast shield just screws on like a supressor over the externally threaded Kineti-Tech brake of your choice. You end up with a decent braking effect with a concussion that is directed forward of the shooter. The Sound Redirector also makes it more pleasant for those around you at the range all while having a relatively minimal effect on the muzzle brake function.

Sharps Rifle Company Relia-Bolt & Balanced Carrier - $199 - Early this year, I reviewed the Sharps Reliabolt and was impressed with the design and engineering thought which was put into the bolt. Sharps engineers looked at all the potential bolt and carrier failure points and redesigned their Reliabolt to improve reliability in extreme wear, impacted weapon, and alignment situations. I personally have never had any issues with even standard phosphated bolts with proper lube, however I can understand how the Sharps design would greatly enhance reliability and continue operation in near catastrophic weapon conditions. Later Sharps also tackled the carrier to deliver a true balanced carrier I used here which smooths operation and increases functional reliability. This a beautiful looking and functioning carrier for the money.

Phase 5 Tactical P5T - Hex2 Buffer Tube $59.99, ABL/CHA Charging Handle $80, Revo Sling mount $65 - I love it when I start writing about a company and then years later I am able to sit back and see they have matured into a well respected company with quality that exceeded even their previous standards. Phase 5 was just kicking off back when I started MajorPandemic.com and now.. geez, these guys are knocking out stunningly awesome high quality USA Made products.

Phase 5 Tactical created this rather awesome looking Hex buffer tube for pistols. It is heavier than other buffer tubes, but also has to be the most trick looking buffer tube on the market. After the popularity of the Sig Brace, P5T began offering the Hex2 version as well which delivers an integrated comfort stop for the SB15 brace. This delivers a bit more comfort while shooting with the brace and increases leverage of the brace by extended the overall length.

P5T just introduced a new Ambidextrous Charging handle called the ABL/CHA. It is a heavy duty billet part which allows easy weapon charging and clearing with either hand. A great solid product with a lot of style that I have had zero issues with during testing.

It is good to see the innovative Revo Sling mount is still in the Phase 5 Tactical lineup. This was a great single point sling mount which replaces the buffer tube plate and provides a rattle-free single point sling mount which provides ambi-rotation from side to side for more comfortable transitions. The Revo Sling Mount is compatible with any milspec buffer tube regardless of whether the tube is intended for carbine or pistol.

Hi-Lux Leatherwood CMR4 - $450 - To actually attempt some level of accuracy this build needed more of an optic than just a red dot and that duty fell to a wonderful Leatherwood Hi-Lux Optics 1-4x CMR4. With hyper velocity Hornady 300 Whisper rounds the trajectory roughly follows the BDC reticle of this wonderful optic. The clarity of the optic really extends the capabilities of this build without jumping too high up on magnification. I have often heralded the CMR and I continue to love everything about this scope. The optic delivers an amazing level of clarity that most optics twice the price cannot match. If you are familiar with the earlier version of the CMR, the CMR4 delivers even more refinement with an improved and extended sub-tense reticle for longer shots, ergonomically correct left hand side covered/capped windage adjustment turrets, along with all the features such as resettable zero, windage zero stop and many other feature. It is probably my hands down favorite optic on the market under the $1000 price point. If I am going to build a top end build, the Leatherwood Hi-Lux CMR4 deserved a spot on the pistol.

Sig Sauer SBX Brace - $129 - The SBX is the new and improved version of their SB15 AR15 pistol stabilization brace. This version is more compact, less bulky, and lighter while still providing all the same stabilization functionality of the original brace. Obviously there has been a lot of discussion around the concept of an arm stabilization brace and its legality. We will see how the "detrimental reliance" lawsuits unravel against the ATF, however for now we all can still buy and used them legally.

Battle Arms Development BAD ASS Ambi Selector $ 79 and EPS Enhanced Pin Set $40 - There stock pivot and takedown pins and selector switches and then there are the groundbreaking designs that Battle Arms Development created. The B.A.D. designs delivered the first ambi-selector switch with style never seen before and features never thought of. Battle Arms absolutely delivers on the cool factor, however they also offer unique features such as short throw switch design on the ambi-selector. Their Enhanced Pin Set delivers a super easy install and and simple design removal features which prevent your punch from scuffing your high dollar receiver. Battle Arms adds that custom touch to any build, especially this one.

Surprisingly with all the top shelf gear included in this build, the cost was high but not as high as I had expected. This full build came in at $2566 which is admittedly up there for an AR15 pistol, however considering what is in this build, this AR15 pistol seems to be much more full featured than I expected for that price considering “custom rifles” in that price range.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So did all this premium high end AR15 Pistol with ultimate components in a super slick setup change my mind about the 300 Whisper/Blackout? Well sort of as this was my first experience with the 300 Blackout in a pistol length barrel. The 300 Blackout is not the "OMG its like the best round ever" for me, but remains for me a round reserved almost exclusively for hunting like the 30-30 Winchester. I have had discussions with many 300 Blackout ammunition manufacturers who, although delighted with its popularity, continue to officially and unofficially note through ballistics specs that the 300 Blackout is close but does not have the same energy as the .223/5.56 Nato rounds, but they note almost everyone inaccurately associates penetration depth with power which is incorrect.

I continue to believe the 300 Blackout in all its forms is better suited for the AR15 pistol format than 16”+ barrels with the exception of a whitetail and hog hunting AR15. With most powder burns lengths occurring within the first 8”-10”, the Blackout makes sense in a shorter barrel format where it can work reliably. From a training and general plinking perspective its just too stinking expensive unless you are a constant reloader and still then bullets are more expensive than .223. There are a few points that I now like about the round in the AR15 format most specifically that delivers 30-30 Winchester power and penetration in an AR15 format but with two power options and 30+ rounds on tap. In this gorgeous build I have to admit that it has been a bit fun to shoot. In this pistol format the 300 Blackout delivers enough reliability with all rounds velocity loadings that it has found a place in my safe.

Even now that ammo has again returned to normal pricing, it is still less expensive to reload quality rounds than buy them. It really becomes an economy thing if you shoot a lot and I do. During bad times, a reloader is critical to keep shooting.

I want to first apologize for the photography which is not up to my usual standards of bluzzy images on a rock background, however once set up and cranking along, I realized I was not in an environment conducive to taking high quality images, I am sure you get the idea.

When I started reloading, I started with a very simple Lee Hand Loader nearly a decade ago. The $29.99 Lee hand press is designed to be used from a couch, or at least that is my perception. The Lee Hand Loader did not even require being mounted to a tabletop to operate, however it was single stage press which means it was painfully slow to use. I still use that press to this day on the range or when resizing brass while watching a movie at home, however when you want volume, you have to look to a progressive reloader. Typically, progressive reloaders have been significantly more expensive than more simple single stage presses. Progressive reloaders deliver one finished round per handle cycle which equates to up to 250 rounds per hour, but are more complex contraptions which usually pushing prices up.

Of the progressive reloaders on the market, the Lee Precision Pro 1000 is, without question, one of the best buys in the industry with a street price of only $178.00 and it pays for itself very quickly.

The Pro 1000 does have its limitations. Where the The Pro 1000 is convertible to other calibers, it is a total pain in the butt to do so. Do not expect it to have the multi-caliber fast swap flexibility of a reloader such as a premium Dillon 550B, however it is also one third the price of the Dillon. If you buy the Lee Pro 1000, buy it setup from the factory in your caliber of choice and only make minor modifications as needed for tuning and you will be happy. The Lee Pro 1000 is available in a dozen pistol calibers and also .223 Remington. The reality is that this reloader is so inexpensive that it makes sense to have one Pro 1000 in each of your needed calibers for only around $125 more than you would have invested in a set of dies alone. Even at full price, it pays for itself in around 800 rounds which if you are reloading, the first 1000 rounds goes fast.

After setup and tuning, you can be up and running with reloads in about an hour. The operation is fairly simple and mostly automatic, however with just three stages, it is a little limiting as well. Depriming and resizing occurs on station one. Priming, case flaring and powder charge occurs on station two, and bullet seating and crimping happen on stage three. Cases are automatically fed into the machine and the only requirements of the reloader are to assure primers are feeding (which sometimes they don’t), assure the brass feeds off the auto feed tubes and are kept full, and there is a bullet placed on each round for station three.

When the Lee Pro 1000 is tuned well and your brass is well prepped, and you remember to flick the primer tray every six or so rounds, everything runs great and the reloader is a joy to hammer out rounds very fast. The production volumes can be stunning. Lee even has an optional auto bullet feeder which means total hands off reloading other than pulling and pushing the lever. I have found that the Pro 1000 does like to have primer pockets on the brass chamfered for positive primer seating at least once but is not required each reload cycle. As with any progressive reloader, there is always a lot to keep an eye on during reloading, however the simple three stage press makes that process a little easier… or at least 25% less things to look after than a four stage press.

I purchased a 9mm Pro 1000 and was not disappointed other than I do like a final factory taper crimp on my 9mm rounds. Because the Pro 1000 is only three stations, I have to run the final round through my single stage press for that final step.

The 9mm factory setup feed, functioned, and reloaded without any significant issues. I then converted the reloader to .38 special. Not something which was particularly enjoyable, however you can do it and then expect about an hour of tuning to get the reloader really humming along without bobbles. Personally I really liked the Pro 1000 in this configuration or the 9mm and will likely stay in one of these configuration… and then I converted it over to .223.

The Pro 1000 is a great inexpensive progressive reloader for handgun ammo, however I had a lot of problems with the .223 reloading from brass feeding to priming and I think you have the highest probability of breaking something with the force required to reload the .223 on this small press. My brass was not prepped properly with chamfered primer pockets which lead to bunch of primers going in sideways. You will have this issue with any brass with tight primer pockets, however for whatever reason my .223 brass was giving the Pro 1000 fits. Botched primer seating of course meant that charges were dropping into cases with holes in the bottom which meant that powder was going everywhere and jamming up the internals. A vacuum and/or tear down was required in some cases to get everything working. That noted, I have many friends who load .223 (with properly prepped brass) on a factory setup Pro 1000 and have no significant issues, so it may just be my tuning. What I found was that the shorter the case the better the super critical feeding of the first stage went smoothly. The tall .223 cases in the Pro 1000 seemed to me just asking for problems.

During the last 8+ years of ammo shortage, the Pro 1000 was hammered pounding out thousands and thousands... and thousands of .38 Special and 9mm rounds and I finally broke a piece on the changing handle. I was amazed at how awesome the customer service was with Lee and I had a replacement part in my hands in about a week. You may push the Lee products to a breaking point, however Lee does stand behind each of their products.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Despite any problems I experienced, the Lee Pro 1000 is the best budget buy progressive reloader on the market and I honestly have no idea how they can offer this for the price they do. My advice is to buy one of these in each caliber you need, set it and leave it. I have a really nice Dillon 550B setup, however the Pro 1000 can deliver a higher round count per hour and I still use it for .38 Special round reloading to feed my Henry and Ruger Vaquero single action revolver set. Is the Lee Pro 1000 the same quality as a Hornady, RCBS, or Dillon press? No, however it is an awesome value for the entry level reloader who wants to see whether this whole progressive reloading thing is for them. To put the price and value of the Lee Precision Pro 1000 into perspective, consider that the next closest priced progressive reloading option equipped ready to reload for a caliber is over $600 or a little over three times the price of the Pro 1000. For many, this becomes an easy decision and from my perspective a great place to start with reloading higher volumes after they have at least a little experience with a single stage press setup.

You can go all old school with tactical pants and a jungle adventure vest for a cover garment, however to me this just screams to bad guys "shoot this guy first". The concept of this article is to deliver tips and tricks to make carrying a concealed carry firearm more effectively and more comfortably. Some of these tricks I learned along my way and others have been shared with me by some of the top leading expert friends and acquaintances.

CLOTHING CONSIDERATIONS

The first thing to realize is that carrying a concealed firearm is not only a legal and personal decision but also a lifestyle and clothing decision. In order to properly carry a firearm on the person and conceal it well it is usually necessary to make accommodations and compromises in clothing. Obviously it would be nearly impossible to conceal a firearm in full spandex... well you can conceal it, however the gun would print like crazy though the spandex and let on to anyone what you are packing. So we need to look at some other clothing options once someone does decide to start carrying concealed. Some of those considerations include comfort, placement, access, the size of the firearm, method of concealment, whether, female or male shooter, and physical anatomy and abilities of the shooter. A fundamental reprogramming is also required of our movements to assure we are not inadvertently flashing our firearm or clearly printing the outline of the firearm when we reach for something on the top shelf in a store.

If you carry a concealed firearm inside the waistband, most people do jump up a pant size to makes things comfortable, however some of the more stretchy materials these days still deliver comfortable carry. Unless the firearm you are carrying is ultralight, I strongly recommend a sturdy thick and wide belt and one preferably with a curved ergonomic cut. For nearly everyone the belt has to traverse an elliptical arch which peaks at the back of the pants. Using a belt with a curved cut such as those from 5.11 delivers more comfort, less chafing, and better weapon retention. A wider thicker belt will also help with a much more comfortable carry and more support for the pistol weight. Although there are people who carry a firearm without a belt, I certainly do not recommend it unless the need is specific to a sports activity.

Unless you find a good shirt "tuckable" holster such as Crossbreed Super Tuck holsters, I have found that I am usually carrying with a shirt untucked or with some type of sweater, jacket, or cover garment. If you are suffering from flashing your gun or butt crack every time you move your hands above shoulder height, then you may want to consider purchasing your same shirt size, but in a "Tall" version. This has worked great for me from t-shirts, to sweaters, to jackets, delivers great coverage during all ranges of motion, and does not make me look sloppy like a one size up garment would. Another great option are shirts and garments from Duluth Trading Company. Their "anti-buttcrack" Longtail clothing is top notch quality, reasonably priced, and delivers a tall cover length in standard sizes and extra tall sizes in the regular "tall" sizes.

Cold weather also adds complexity to concealed carry and firearm access. If it is freezing cold and you are never really taking your jacket off, you may want to consider an OWB (On The Waistband) holster and just use the winter jacket as your cover garment.

COLD WEATHER GLOVESMy biggest issue has not been weapon access even when the gun is buried deeply under layers of coats, polarfleece, and shirts, but gloves and firearm manipulation. Once you start shooting with thick cold weather gloves, you will never again own a defensive pistol with a safety on it. I have found that some gloves doe not even permit functional use of a firearm, some will not allow full access inside the trigger guard, and worse I have actually had some of the more bulky gloves block or jam the slides. Choose and test gloves and hand coverings wisely at the range with the gun and likely cover garments, otherwise you may find that you may not be able to grasp or reliably operate the gun with gloves on. My favorite cold weather shooting gloves are Mechanix Wear gloves.

HOLSTER TYPES

I wish there was one great solution for everyone however that is not the case. The world's best holster placed in a position the shooter cannot reach or horribly chafes the user is not a good solution. Talk to your wife about sizing up clothes to allow for a CCW carry holster and you would have thought you just called her fat & ugly. In most cases Mrs Pandemic is purse carrying a Glock 19 or has a Glock G42 concealed on her person.

Crossbreed Super Tuck Deluxe with Glcok 19

You need to find the right solution for you. Everyone is different. Many other variables impact how the user carries a firearm which inevitably leads to variety of firearms being purchased from micro to small to mid-sized to large and generally a whole host of holsters to carry each firearm. Many, many people just give up and slip a tiny .380 into a pocket or purse which should is still not a bad option with the current defensive rounds available.

Where possible, I would rather carry my full sized Salient G17 or H&K P30L which offers me the best accuracy control and capacity. Dependant on clothing choice and holster/wardrobe interaction I can make some decisions on pistol size. I may instead go with my Glock 19 which is smaller framed, my Glock 26 even smaller, my Walther PPK or PPS which are thinner and carried with just a Universal Clip Draw, or for really tough clothing limiting concealment situations I may go with Clip Draw equipped Kahr CM9, Ruger LCR .357 or the 9mm version or even a Derringer from Bond Arms. Personally, when all other carry methods fail, I know I can slip my Kahr CM9 or Ruger LCR into my front jeans pocket or breast pocket on my coat. Different clothing situations require different carry options and potentially different sized firearms.

CanCanConcealment

Typical carry options are inside the waistband and outside the waistband holsters, however there are now many other options available carry a firearm. One of the older firearm holster ideas with a modern twist are the elastic, magnetic Garter, Hip Hugger, and Sport Belt holsters from She Bang CanCanConcealment.com holsters which delivers a viable concealment option for woman and men who are challanged with the fit or comfort of typical holsters. I am told thier hip concealment belts are great for females.

Flashbang bra holders provide women another option to carry small micro firearms for females. The concept may seem gadgetry and silly however for women who have average or above average endowment up top can carry a surprisingly large firearm nested underneath her bra. It can be a very for a fast and effective carry method which I'm told is also extremely comfortable. So I've been told one of the most biggest advantages this carry method is it offers females a lot of fashion choices without having to worry about printing at the waistband with more fashionably tight clothing options these days.

WOMAN’S PURSE CARRY

For woman, please consider carry options besides a purse. The target of the most robberies are females purses so it makes little sense to me to have a gun in the thing most likely stolen, however many females argue with me on this point. There is no doubt that women have different concealed carry needs, however I cannot stress enough that it is strategically critical that your firearm be on your person. The She Bang and Flashbang holster are unique options for female shooters which may or may not address your personal needs. The most important aspect for me of these holsters is that they get the gun out of a purse on the person so that during encounter it is easily accessible. I have to constantly remind my wife that there are plenty of times that she does not have her purse.

If you choose to carry your firearm is a purse or pack, make sure the firearm resides in its own compartment and is easily accessible without opening the purse or pack. One of the biggest challenges with carrying concealed firearm in the first is that it is usually not easily accessible or fall to the bottom of the purse. Dedicated concealed carry holster purses hold firearms in such a manner where can be easily accessible via / pocket visit for a snap. You can be extraordinarily fast drawing an offer female a secure and easy carry option.

A purpose designed purse is not required though. Mrs Pandemic has a beautiful Dooney & Bourke purse which has an outside pocket perfect for a firearm. In my mind this is not ideal, however it works for her when all other carry solutions clash with her sense of style.

BATHROOMHey its a biological fact that we need to go sit down for a moment or two, but flashing the firearm hanging off your down’ed pants is a no-no legally in most states. Some people will place the firearm inside their down’ed pants, in a pocket, point it at the door, or hang it on the back of the door. I usually hold the gun in my support hand by the barrel which allows use of my other hand for other needs, keeps the gun warm so that I don’t get the big chill when I slip it back into my pants, and allows near instant transition to my strong hand should I actually need the firearm.

ALTERNATIVE CARRY OPTIONI cannot say enough wonderful things about Clipdraw for a lightweight no-bulk IWB carry option. If you want to carry a gun a lot and have a challenging dress style that permits any cover garment then you owe it to yourself to buy either a ClipDraw Universal for semi auto pistols or the revolver version depending on your firearm. After a lot of experience with the ClipDraw, my personal preference is to not use the Glock version for Glocks and instead use the Universal model. Its simple easy and works perfectly for many applications. If you do carry with a round in the chamber, then you may want to opt for also using some type of trigger guard holster.

Trigger Guard holsters are really gaining popularity. The gist of the idea is that a small piece of Kydex covers the trigger guard and carry is permitted via a lanyard which can be attached via many methods to purses, packs or even belts for IWB carry. Its a great minimalist concealed carry holster idea many people love which I am excited to test. Some people are using this tiny little trigger guard holster as convenient carry options for around the home carry.

Pocket carry is also another great carry option, however using a wallet holster or slipping a piece of cardboard in front of your gun breaks up the outline of the gun in the pocket.

MOVEMENTIf you are carrying a firearm concealed on the strong side, start training yourself to reach with your weak side hand. If you are right handed that means start reaching for things with your left hand. A significant amount of shirt and cover movement will naturally occur on the reaching hand side which can usually lead to flashing part of your concealed firearm.

If you have a proper cover garment, have faith that it will provide coverage and avoid continually tugging on your cloths. Continual OCD coverage tugging is broadcasting to everyone that you are carrying concealed… stop it. Another tell tale move CCW folks do is the constant weapons check “is my gun still there?” Stop it! Its still there.